Behind the Rainbow, “Tongqi” Wives of Men Who Have Sex With Men in China: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Due to the restrictions and stigmatization of homosexuality in China, there has emerged the "Tongqi," or the wives of men who have sex with men (MSM). There are around 14 million Tongqi wives whose needs for support are often overshadowed. This phenomenon has been largely under researched, this review is the first to address the current data on the Tongqi. The aim of this systematic review is to begin to provide insight into the pre-existing data and the further support that is needed for the wives of MSM. Methods: The researchers searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CNKI, Sinomed and WangFang databases from their inception date until June 7, 2019. Handsearching was also completed to provide a rich data set. Results: The articles were summarized and analyzed for thematic clusters. From the selected article, five themes emerged, including Sexual Health Issues, Intimate Partner Violence, Mental Health Status, Marriage Dissatisfaction, and Coping Strategies. These themes often intersected to provide a complex understanding of the current gaps in support provided to Tongqi. Conclusion: Tongqi wives remain a hidden population in Chinese mainstream society, who deserves a sensitive approach to support. The study revealed that the MSM wives suffer severe mental, physical, health, and life related harms. However, instead of situating them into the victim roles, many women take on an identity of empowerment and are working together, aiming to make social changes. In order to address the Tongqi phenomenon, it is also essential to reduce the discrimination toward homosexuality. Tongqi are a special group of Chinese women, they require further intensive research attention.

Nursing research on intimate partner violence in China: A scoping review

“…Researchers from mainland China specifically developed the tool to investigate cold violence, though mainly among wives of MSM [87] . Actually, wives of MSM, or known as Tongqi, is a significant victimised population due to complexly intertwined discrimination and homophobia, with an estimated population of over 13·6 million people in mainland China [150] . Thirdly, unlike common research approaches involving human subjects research approvals, nursing case reports unique to Taiwan provided valuable evidence for understanding IPV and caring for victims of IPV.…”

Counselling and psychotherapy service use in Chinese sexual minority populations: a nationwide survey

“…This study also suggests that disclosure in general, whether family or friends, improves the utilization of counselling and psychotherapy services. Creating an environment in the Chinese context, which facilitates disclosure should be a point for further research [15,36].…”

A “Phoenix” rising from the ashes: China’s Tongqi, marriage fraud, and resistance

“…They were motivated by their needdemand-for dignity and justice that helped them take control of their lives. Many of the low-educated Tongqi admitted they remained in their marriages because of concerns about child custody (Wang et al, 2020) and being financially dependent upon their husbands (Zhu, 2018). This constraint was especially relevant for older Tongqi.…”

“…The overall estimated number of Tongqi is a fraction-around three-and-a-half percent -of the 400 million married women in China. But in terms of distress, Tongqi notably suffer both physically and mentally (Wang et al, 2020). Tongqi report experiencing relatively higher rates of intimate partner violence and associated behaviors including attempted suicide, chronic depression, coerced anal sex, exposure to sexually transmitted diseases (Cheng, 2016;Wang, 2017;Wang et al, 2020;Zhang et al, 2014Zhang et al, , 2015, and more susceptible to be infected with HIV (Wang et al, 2020).…”

“…Also, the persistence of traditional gender roles, accompanied by the rapid rise in women's education, has created an environment of low marriage rates among older, highly educated women (Qian & Qian, 2014). The term used to describe single women over the age of 27 is "leftover ladies" (Wang et al, 2020;Zhu, 2018). Contributing to "sham marriages" is the centrality of producing a child which persists despite the end of China's One Child Policy.…”